Insight buy-out battle heats up

Insight Venture Partners topped a $25.50-a-share bid that Quest Software received from an unidentified suitor, intensifying a takeover battle for the software maker, according to a person familiar with matter.

Insight sweetened its Mar 9 offer of $23-a-share for Quest, after the software maker said last week it got a higher offer from a strategic bidder, said the person, who declined to be identified because the process is not public.

Dell was the unnamed bidder, according to a Reuters report last week.